This technique marks the significant “shift of gears” in the text, moving away from breath and sound to philosophical meditation aimed at breaking the individual’s core belief that they are a limited, separate body.
The Shift to Belief: Becoming All-Pervasive
The instruction introduces the concept of instantaneous, universal pervasiveness:
With mind free of thoughts, concentrate on one’s body. Imagine space simultaneously pervading in all directions. One will then become all pervasive. (Verse 43)
This is the first of several powerful meditations that work on the principle that “our beliefs create our reality”. By changing the fundamental belief about oneself from “I am a limited body” to “I am unlimited space,” the practitioner’s reality is transformed.
The first condition, “With mind free of thoughts,” highlights that the practice is most effective when the mind has already been stilled, likely through one of the preceding 19 techniques.
Practice Instructions (Conceptual Visualization)
This technique is a seated practice with a powerful conceptual visualization:
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Posture:Â Sit comfortably and close the eyes.
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Focus on the Body:Â Bring the attention to the physical body.
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Visualize Universal Space: Simultaneously imagine or believe that the space (or sky) of the entire universe is “simultaneously pervading in all directions” and filling the body.
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Emptiness of Form: Imagine there is “no body – only space” everywhere. The body is merely an empty space.
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Sustained Practice: Practice this visualization for up to 30 minutes, or as long as comfortable.
Liberation from the Body’s Bondage
The commentary links this illusion-breaking belief directly to liberation, drawing a parallel with the teachings of the Ashtavakra Gita.
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Breaking Identification: The body is what “binds us” and is the source of suffering. This meditation helps the practitioner detach themselves from the body, leading to the realization that they are not the body but “awareness” or the “witness”.
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The Result: All Pervasive:Â “One will then become all pervasive.” Our true nature is said to be “unlimited, free, and all pervasive”. By believing this truth, the illusion of being a limited body is broken, and the practitioner is liberated and becomes one with God, who is also all-pervasive.
This meditation offers the immediate reward of peace: “If you can do this now, you will be free this very moment”. The moment the belief is fully incorporated, liberation follows.